Mumbai . Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that BJP is engaging in Politics of Vendetta.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray launched a direct attack on the functioning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Election Commission of India (ECI) during a rally in Mumbai on Sunday. Referring to PM Modi's 'Make in India' initiative, Thackeray said, “When he became Prime Minister for the first time, he announced 'Make in India'. We supported that vision, but if you are creating a dictatorship in the name of 'Make in India', then we are standing here today to bury that dictatorship. Everything else is fine under 'Make in India', but if you try to become a dictator, then understand that your dictatorship is buried.” Is.”
Addressing the 'Garjana Morcha' organized by Shiv Sena (UBT) along with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief (MNS) Raj Thackeray in Mumbai, Uddhav Thackeray launched a scathing attack on the central government and the ECI over allegations of systematic election rigging and erosion of democratic institutions. He defined the demonstration as “a nationwide campaign to protect India's constitutional framework and civil liberties” and warned that public discontent could soon spill over into the streets if institutional encroachment continued. Expressing concern over manipulation in the voter list, Uddhav Thackeray alleged that names of 13 crore voters across the country have been removed from the voter lists. He asked the protesting crowd, “This figure is equal to the entire population of Maharashtra. Is this arbitrary removal of names acceptable to you?”
He accused officials of secretly removing a large number of voters from the voter list. He said around 13 crore voters across the country, including two crore voters in Maharashtra alone, are either missing or have been disenfranchised. He further said that names of 70 lakh voters in Tamil Nadu and 30 lakh voters in West Bengal have been removed. Referring to West Bengal, Uddhav Thackeray said that just before the upcoming by-elections, many invalid voter applications were declared valid. Criticizing the legal delay, he questioned why urgent petitions filed in the Supreme Court are heard just a day before voting. “If the hearing is held on the 5th and voting is on the 6th, how will the restored voters be able to exercise their rights? The ruling government has captured every independent institution,” he alleged.
Uddhav Thackeray criticized the legislative removal of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the selection committee, raising questions over the credibility of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the appointment process. He said that the three-member committee now includes the Prime Minister, a cabinet minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the leader of the opposition. He said, “Having Home Minister Amit Shah in the committee automatically gives the ruling government a majority of 2-1. Despite the formal dissent of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Gyanesh Kumar was appointed without waiting for the scheduled court hearing. His appointment is completely partisan.” Uddhav Thackeray said that while the BJP had once campaigned against the corruption of the Congress, currently public sentiment across the country has turned towards the “India against Vote Thieves” movement.
Criticizing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Uddhav Thackeray claimed that the party is incapable of governing. “The administration and the BJP are complete opposites of each other. What you are running is not governance but sheer political vendetta,” he alleged. He estimated that at the current pace it would take approximately 146 months to verify the remaining disputed voter applications. Questioning the law and order situation of the ruling administration in Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray cited the recent murder of Shiv Sena official Pradeep Purnekar in Thane. He asked, “Where are your police and home minister now? Is this your form of Hindutva?”
He further said that the words 'BJP' and 'administration' have become contradictory and described the current administration as motivated by political vendetta. Quoting Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, he said Balasaheb had consistently rejected such 'pathetic and vindictive' forms of democracy. He asked, “When crimes against women and citizens are increasing across the country, where is your Hindutva government?” Giving a direct warning to the ruling party, Uddhav Thackeray said, “You may have captured the institutions and administrations, but the roads belong to the people. A day will come when you will find it difficult to even walk on these public roads.”
The protest march, stretching from Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters at CSMT, saw thousands of supporters marching only with the Indian tricolor and strictly avoiding party flags. The rally brought together a broad coalition of opposition parties, including workers from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Congress, Kisan and Mazdoor Party of India (PWP), Left parties as well as MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT). This high-profile joint rally signals a larger political confrontation in Maharashtra, bringing together rival political factions to challenge the Election Commission.